The Cerveza Cristal Meme Explained: How A 2003 Chilean ‘Star Wars’ Beer Ad Went Mega Viral

By Radhamely De Leon
Published March 6, 2024, 6:06 p.m. ET

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A Chilean ad campaign for the alcohol brand Cerveza Cristal is currently going viral on X, where it’s spawned a number of memes.

This obscure meme format has taken over X, popping up in the midst of what appear to be seemingly random films, from Disney’s A Goofy Movie to Denis Villeneuve‘s Dune. So, what could these films possibly have in common?

Well, with the help of a little bit of editing, they now include a shot of Cerveza Cristal.

This rather obscure cultural moment from the early 2000s has found a new audience decades later that can really appreciate the genius of this bizarre marketing move. It’s become so viral that Stephen Colbert mentioned it during his monologue.

So, what is Cerveza Cristal and why is it going viral right now?

What is the Cerveza Cristal meme?

The story behind this meme begins in 2003 when Chile edited the Star Wars trilogy to advertise Cerveza Cristal without cutting to commercial breaks. They did so by seamlessly editing key scenes to include the product, as if it were actually part of the galaxy far, far away.

The advertisements were known as La Fuerza está con Cerveza Cristal, or The Force is with Cerveza Cristal. The ads nabbed a top award at the 2004 Cannes International Advertising Festival, where the ad agency OMD Santiago was recognized for its “genius” campaign.

According to Vida Extra, the same move was done in broadcasts of American Beauty and Gladiator.

How is Cerveza Cristal becoming a meme?

What resulted is a bizarre, but admittedly inspired, method of product placement that people have been emulating on X using various movies, including A Goofy Movie, Dune, Iron Man, and many, many more.

X is now littered with seemingly normal clips from some of the biggest releases of recent decades, that is, until a character randomly pulls out a Cerveza Cristal.

The bizarre viewing experience gives a glimpse at what it was like watching the Star Wars trilogy in Chile at the time. As one person put it, “Watching movies like this must have been insane. I dont think I would even be able to focus, I would just keep trying to predict when the next Cerveza Cristal ad is going to appear.”

Not even one of the most heartwarming moments from Everything Everywhere All At Once is safe from the meme.

This sudden revival of the meme could certainly spark a revival. The Cerveza Cristal meme would have made the perfect Super Bowl ad, but there’s certainly other chances of bringing this genius marketing campaign back to life.

For now, it can be enjoyed on X, where there is no shortage of Cerveza Cristal memes.